Safety boat



Jan. 1, 1929. 7 1,697,420

' I A. FAussETT SAFETY BOAT Filed March 10, 1926 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 1, i929.

ALFRED FAUSSETT, OF SUL'IAN, WASHINGTON.

SAFETY BOAT.

Application filed March 10, 1926. Serial No. 93,662.

My invention relates to improvements in boats of a type adapted to navigate falls, rapids and other dangerous waters, and its objects, generally stated, include,

First, the provision of a boat designed to afford a thrilling spectacle for moving pictures, the same being made safe and practical by mounting in the boat a plurality of rotatable drums, controlled by brakes, said drums carrying lengths of wire which are anchored exteriorly of the boat in such a. way as to safe-guard the passage of the boat, while the said wires will be concealed from the ordinary observer, the movement of the boat being controlled bythe user through the drums, brakes and wires,

Second, the provision of a. plurality of resilient fenders secured to the boat in a manner such as to ward off blows, and thereby increase its resistance to rough usage; and,

Third, the provision of instrumentalities for supplying air to the user, from a compartment in the boat, in case of submergence.

Other objects will appear as the description of the invention progresses.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a perspective of the boat as navigated by the user through rapids, showing Wires anchored in the stream and connected with the drums, a section of the boat being broken away and parts shown in dotted lines to indicate the drums, the brakes for controlling the drums, and mechanism for manipu-f lating the brakes, and means shown whereby the user may obtain air from the boat for breathing purposes, should necessity require; Fig. 2, a top view of the boat, the wires for anchoring the same being extended therefrom;

Fig. 3, a cross section drawn on the line 3-3, of Fig. 2; and, I

Fig. i, a view in detail of one of said wires where it passes through the stern of the boat, a pair of stuffing boxes being shown, which afford watertight bearings for the wire.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, 1 denotes the hull of the boat, which should be of substantial construction, but may be made canoe-like in form, if an appearance of frailty be desired to afford a more hazardous aspect to the spectacular feature sought to be attained. To give the boat additional stability, it is weighted with lead, or the like, as at 2. The boat carries an enclosed compartment 3, which extends from the bow along the major portion of its length,

' after.

while the stern section is open, is provided with a seat 4 for the user, and a canopy 5the function of which will be described herein- A plurality of fenders 6, are secured to the hull, as shown, by bolts, or in any other suitable manner which will afford strong and watertight fasteners therefor. I prefer to make these fenders of vine maple, a wood which grows to a comparatively small diameter, and not suitable for lumber; and, being plentiful where indigenous, it consequently is cheap in cost; it also has greatdurability and resiliency, so that it can be repeatedly bent back on itself without breaking, hende possessing characteristics which make it peculiarly adaptable for this purpose. The fenders are, preferably, made circular in cross section and secured to the hull in the manner shown in Figs. land 2; beginning adjacent the top of the bow, extending outwardly, backwardly, and underneath the boat, if desired, and progressively increasing in length as they extend downwardly. In the embodiment shown, the fenders, as is evident, serve the purpose of protecting the boat from rocksv or blows, and they may be varied in length and arrangement to meetthe conditions: of the stream to be navigated.

In the bottom of the enclosed compartment 3 and on one side of the boat, a drum 10 is rotatably mounted on the rod 11 andsupported by the standards denoted by 12. It brake 13, of the band variety, is operatively secured to the drum, the same being actuated through the rod 14, the crank 15 and the pedal 16. A length of wire 1.7, somewhat longer than the distance the boat is required to travel along the stream, 1s fixedly secured to the drum and coiled thereon, its free end extendwire fastened to a nearby tree, and then secured to a ledge of rocks in the stream. A

second drum, located slightly forward of the first-named drum, is similarly mounted on the other side of the boat and being identical in constructlon, and provlded with thesame brake mechanism, equipment and connections, the parts are denoted by like numerals.

.A smaller drum, generally designated as 20, is likewise rotatably mounted in the bow of the boat, and disposed as indicated in Fig.

2. It is provided with a brake band 21, a rod 22, a crank 23, and a hand lever 24 for actuating the brake mechanism. A suitable length of similar wire 25 is fixedly secured to the drum, said wire extending exteriorly of the bow, as indicated, and is designed to be anchored-in an appropriate location and in the manner heretofore described relative to the wire 17. Asecond drum is oppositely disposed in the bow, and is of the same construction and provided with brake mechanism and equipment identical with that ust described, consequently the various parts are given the same numerical designations. These drums, and the anchored wires connected therewith, are for the purpose of con trolling the boat within a greater radius of movement, and cooperate as safety factors, the same being more particularly useful where the boat is being navigated in a wide or torrential stream. In the embodiment shown, the wires connected with the drums just referred to, extend through the bow, above the water line, and may be anchored in the same manner as the other wires, or on or toward either side of the stream.

In the event that the user should besubmerged temporarily in goin through adifferent course, an emergencydtmeathing apparatus is provided, whereby air may be obtained from the enclosed compartment 3 of the boat. It comprises a flexible tube 30, fastened to said compartment, and operatively secured to the head of the user by the mask 31 and the headbands 32, the same permitting the use of air contained in the compartment. If the boat should be subjected to a particularly rough passage, the user, by moving backward from the position shown in Fig. 1, can use the stern and the canopy 5 for protection from any adverse conditions incident to the trip.

In operating the'boat, the wires extending from the stern, and the other wires, if desired, are anchored as heretofore described. As the boat is particularly designed. to descend streams having a. swift current, it will, obviously, utilize the current as a motive power, and the wires as restraining elements. The apparatus for taking air from the compartment is adjusted to the user at the start off, or when thought to be timely. As the boat moves forwardly the anchored wires are permitted to unwind from the drums, an application of the brakes serving to either slow up the boat or stop it entirely, and when and where desired. Should the'boat be listing to one side, the proper application of the braking mechanism onthe other side will restore it to its usual balanced position. The

boat, being controlled by the user through the anchored. wires and the brakes cooperating therewith, can thus make a. descent over falls, and through rapids and other waters impassable to ordinary boats, the fenders constituting elements which contribute further to the safety of the passage. A spectacular effect, such as a turning over or tipping of the boat, can be produced at will, by releasing the brakes on all of the drums but one. and tightening up the brake on the remaining drum,- the force of the current then being directed to the boat held in check by one taut anchored wire, disposed at one side thereof. The boat is operative with the tworear drums only being employed, but the drums in the how are useful in that they permit a greater range of activity, and afford additional security.

\Vhile the boat is primarily designed for the purposes hereinbefore described, it can be made applicable, by increasing its carrying capacity, to the transportation of miners supplies, goods, or the like, over watercourses which ordinarily are unnavigable, and thereby eliminating inconvenient and time-consuming portages.

I claim:

1. A safety boat, comprising a hull, an enclosed compartment extending from the bow longitudinally of the hull, a drum rotatably mounted at one side of the boat and within the compartment, a brake for the drum. means for actuating the brake, a length of wire coiled around the drum, one end fixedly secured to the drum, its free end extending exteriorly of the boat, a second drum rotatably mounted on the other side of the boat and within the compartment, a brake therefor, means for actuating thesecond brake, and a length of wire coiled around the second drum, one end fixedly secured there to, its free end extending exteriorly of the boat.

2. A safety boat, comprising a hull, pair of drums rotatably mounted within the hull and disposed at opposite sides of the boat, each provided with a brake and means for actuating the brake, a length of wire coiled around each drum, one end fixedly secured to the drum and its free end extending through the stern, a pair of stufling boxes to provide interior and exterior bearings for each wire, a pair of drums rotatably mounted within the bow and at opposite sides thereof, each provided with a brake and means for actuating the brake, a length of wire coiled around each drum, one end fixedly secured to the drum and its free end. extending through the adjacent side of tl1c'boat,-all of said wires being adapted for anchorage exteriorly of the boat and to permit a forward travelthereof.

ALFRED FAUSSETT. 

